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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24208567">Stand By Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/btichcraft/pseuds/btichcraft'>btichcraft</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Legacies (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, post 1.06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:55:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24208567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/btichcraft/pseuds/btichcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Everyone needs someone to look after them."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stand By Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Josie hasn’t been the same since her birthday.</p><p>As one could imagine being buried alive really takes a toll on a person. The feeling of no matter how much you dig and dig, you’re never getting out. She doesn’t know what she would’ve done if her friends hadn’t come.</p><p>Josie doesn’t know how deep the hole was, but it felt like she had two tons pressing down on her and no oxygen left to breathe. </p><p>Ever since that night, Hope has made a point to bring Josie meals and distract her with various competitive cooking shows— they went through Cutthroat Kitchen and The Great British Bake Off in two weeks, to say they went on a Netflix binge would be an understatement.</p><p>She doesn’t mind spending all the extra time with Hope, but she can’t help but wonder what’s in it for her. The two never really talked before her birthday, Josie didn’t even like her that much before or when she did it wasn’t usually pleasant. </p><p>Josie had a lot of pent up anger surrounding Hope and her father’s relationship, but seeing this new Hope is making her rethink a lot of things and feelings. </p><p>There’s a slight knock on her door.</p><p>“Come in,” Josie says, closing the book she is reading. The door cracks slightly, and Hope pops her head in.</p><p>“Hey,” Hope smiles.</p><p>The tribrid comes into her room with a large tray carrying multiple dishes from the cafeteria, and they’re all her favorite things. Josie has no idea how Hope knows, but she appreciates it nevertheless.</p><p>Hope sits on Josie’s bed and places the tray before her. All the food looks delicious, especially the cherry pie slice, but Josie hasn’t had much of an appetite lately. She barely eats any of the food she brings up, but Hope keeps trying anyway.</p><p>“Why do you do this?” Josie asks as Hope’s eyes meet her own.</p><p>“Well,” She pauses. “Everyone needs someone to look after them, especially if they’re usually the ones doing the looking after.” </p><p>Josie averts her eyes and goes back to staring at the food. She quickly realizes how hungry she actually is, she had only eaten breakfast today. Well, that is if you consider a latte and a cinnamon roll breakfast. </p><p>Josie picks up the pie and all but shoves it into her mouth like she hadn’t eaten in days— which to be fair wasn’t exactly untrue. </p><p>After the first bite, she can feel a sense of calm rush over her.</p><p>“I know you put comfort spells in the food.”</p><p>Hope smiles. “Like I said.”</p><p>Josie returns the smile, but it quickly drops as she goes back to thinking about being buried alive. She doesn’t want to keep obsessing over it, but she can’t help it. Emma says she has PTSD from that night, and the pain will always be with her, but she can move on if she puts in the work. Josie doesn’t know how to move on, she feels utterly consumed by her thoughts and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.</p><p>Emma suggested talking to someone besides her about it all, but it was so hard knowing no one else can understand the trauma she went through. She tried talking with Lizzie once, but despite all her best intentions trying to help, Lizzie didn’t do much besides make Josie feel more alone. </p><p>“I couldn’t breathe, you know,” She says, playing with her rings. “Not because of the lack of oxygen, more the feeling of being trapped and helpless.”</p><p>Josie didn’t care much, not being in control. In addition to some intense codependency, Emma says she has control issues and anxiety related to them. Her symptoms have only gotten worse recently, and Josie doesn’t know what to do about it. </p><p>“Being buried alive just really sucks,” Josie says with a dry laugh. “And the fact that it was my own biological mother was the one to do it hurts even more.”</p><p>Hope grabs Josie’s hand.</p><p>“I opened up to her, we had so much in common, and then some monster took advantage of that. I’m sick of fighting and feeling weak. I just want things to go back to how they were before Malivore and monsters”</p><p>Josie doesn’t notice that she’s crying until Hope wipes a tear from her cheek and pulls her into her arms.</p><p>“Let it all out.”</p><p>Josie feels something break inside of her and all the walls she built around her trauma breaking down. She can’t control the sobs coming out of her mouth, but Hope doesn’t seem to care as she continues rubbing small circles into Josie’s back. </p><p>“We’re going to figure this out, okay, Jo?”</p><p>Josie nods and starts calming down, focusing on Hope’s steady breathing. Hope doesn’t pull away until Josie does frost, and even then, she’s reluctant.</p><p>“Everything will go back to normal eventually. I bet we’ll be over and done with this before midterms. Well, I hope so, at least, I couldn’t imagine having to take exams with a monster running around,” Hope laughs as she continues rubbing Josie’s shoulder. </p><p>The siphoner hopes she’s right, she doesn’t think she can handle much more of the monsters. They keep her always on edge, and ever since her new friendship with Hope, she can’t help but be even more worried as Hope is the one constantly putting her life on the line for the sake of the school.</p><p>It was weird, their newfound friendship. Josie and Hope don’t talk much when Hope brings her food on days Josie can’t get out of bed. There’s a connection between the two; Maybe it’s because of their shared trauma, or maybe it’s just coincidence that they understand each other so well. Either way, Josie can’t help but feel lucky for knowing such a kind soul. </p><p>Josie hates how vulnerable Hope makes her how she feels out of control when they’re together, but despite all that, Hope makes her feel safe. Josie doesn’t know how she’ll get through this without her, the thought of losing Hope made her chest ache in a way it never had before.</p><p>“Well not everything, right?” Josie says, softly looking into her eyes.</p><p>“Not everything.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>follow me on twitter @satlzmans :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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